The Akatsuki Pride II: Simba's Pride
by Romancehowler
Summary: Sequel to The Akatsuki Pride. Simba and Nala are now rulers, with a son named Kopa. Zira resents Simba, and with the help of a lion from another world, plots to avenge Scar. The Akatsuki are living in peace, Konan and Nagato having become parents. This will not last however, as Tobi returns to claim revenge for their betrayal. Currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, welcome to the sequel to The Akatsuki Pride! It follows the story of Simba's son Kopa, and then Kiara in Simba's Pride. Tobi and Zira get up to mischief along the way-murder included. Obviously, if you have not read the first story The Akatsuki Pride, go do so or you'll be quite confused. There's already a lovely cover for this story, done by the user princessbinas. Some of it's been cropped by the upload, so if you want to see the cover fully check out the link at the bottom of this chapter. Speaking of covers, I've edited the one for the first story so that Nagato has his proper colors. Chapter 1 kicks off with Kopa's presentation, which will use** ** _The Circle of Life_** **song like in the first movie, but end off with the clip from the end of the movie.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto, The Lion King and all their afilliates belong to their respective owners, not me.**

The Pridelands were flourishing. Finally the lands had healed after Scar's reign, and were now back to their former glory. Animals had returned, and now life was everywhere. Nala had recently given birth to a son, Kopa, heir to the throne. Konan would follow very soon, as she had been pregnant almost as long as Nala. Zira had also been given a child, a little girl she named Vitani. Though Vitani was female, Zira still saw more potential in her than Nuka.

"I still think this is a really weird way to present an heir, hm." Deidara mused as he worked on a sculpture. Simba was preparing for the presentation of his newborn son, Kopa, which would be starting very soon. The Akatsuki were sitting on a flat rock near the base of Pride Rock, so they would have a good view for the presentation. Deidara was molding a sculpture of Kopa using some special clay he had stored, in his signature style. Kisame was sitting next to him and "Critiquing". Nagato and Konan were looking at their surroundings, and watching the horizon as, ever so slowly, the sun began to rise.

The rest of the pride was present nearby, with the exception of ZIra, Vitani and Nuka. Zira had hidden herself away in a cave with Nuka and Vitani, refusing to acknowledge the birth of her enemy's son. Though she neglected Nuka, she still despised the idea of her own flesh and blood hailing SImba's son.

"I think you should give it actual eyes, Deidara. Those empty holes you always do look creepy." Kisame said as Deidara molded the head

"It's my style, hm! I won't change my art." Deidara replied, and finished the sculpture. It was a life-sized baby lion, with some grooves carved to represent spots and stripes. It was curled up, and the clay Deidara had used was dark yellow-orange, shot through with streaks of rusty red.

"Fine, but don't get all mad if Kopa doesn't like it." Kisame shrugged

"This is imperfect art, hm. Simba should have let me make it explosive!" Deidara said with a sigh

"I imagine that's because he doesn't want you blowing up his newborn son." Konan quipped

"Hm, his loss. An explosion would spice up the presentation!" Deidara huffed

"Shh, it's beginning." Nagato shushed as he heard the bird choir begin singing

 _Nants, ingonyama bagithi baba_

The sun began to rise, spilling over the horizon in a red-orange glow and ushering in the dawn of a new era

 _Sithi uhm ingonyama_

 _Nants ingonyama bagithi baba_

 _Sithi uhhmm ingonyama_

 _Siyo nqoba_

 _Ingonyama_

 _Ingonyama nengw' enambala_

The animals looked to Pride Rock, some already beginning the trek to it

 _On the day we arrive on the planet_

 _And blinking, step into the sun_

A group of cheetahs walked into the sunlight, led by an elderly male

 _There's more to see, than can ever bee seen_

 _More to do, than can ever be done_

 _There's far too much to take in here_

 _More to find than can ever be found_

A gemsbok led his herd through a lake

 _But the sun rolling high_

 _In the sapphire sky_

 _Keeps great and small, on the endless round_

 _It's the Circle of Life!_

 _And it moves us all!_

Simba and Nala walked to the edge of Pride Rock, followed by Sarabi, Timon and Pumbaa. The animals had gathered at Pride rock's base, waiting for their future king to be presented

 _Through despair, and hope_

Rafiki was behind them with Kopa, smearing the cub's head with some red paste

 _Through faith and love.._

 _Ingonyama nengw' enambala_

A light shone from above, revealing Mufasa looking down upon his son with pride. Sarabi smiled warmly, a tear sliding down her cheek

 _Ingonyama nengw' enambala_

 _Until we find our plaaaace..._

Zazu alighted down by the royals, and some of the animals began to go wild as Rafiki walked to the edge. The Akatsuki lions got ready to cheer themselves, watching with smiles

 _On the path unwinding!_

Simba and Nala briefly nuzzled as Rafiki stopped behind them, and they nodded their approval, allowing him to pass.

 _It's the circle..._

 _The Circle of liiife!_

Rafiki held up Kopa for all to see, and the Akatsuki lions roared, the animals following suit with their own sounds

 _Circle of..._

 _Liiiiiiife!_

All the animals bowed, signaling their acceptance of the new prince

* * *

The Akatsuki lions went to congratulate Simba and Nala, Deidara holding his sculpture in his mouth. The pride were in the main cave, lolling about and chatting quietly. Zira was in a corner with Kiburi and Kiujanja, muttering angrily. The royal couple were sitting next to Sarabi, who was grooming Kopa.

"Isn't he precious.." Konan said as the group entered

"I finished my sculpture!" Deidara said, padding over and placing it down beside Sarabi

"That's a good likeness, Deidara." Nala commented, looking over the piece

"Glad you like it, but it's flawed, hm." Deidara replied, sitting down grumpily

"Deidara, I'm not going to let you blow up my son, even if it's just a sculpture." Simba said, placing a paw on it for emphasis

"You may appreciate my art, but you don't understand it, hm..." Deidara grumbled

Konan stepped forward and nuzzled the young prince, smiling.

"Kopa is an appropriate name. He is the heart of this family, truly." She said

 _'All this sweet talk of theirs is sickening...that child is filth, the son of a murderer!'_ Zira thought with a growl as she watched the exchange

"He reminds me of you, Simba. It seems like almost yesterday you were being prepared for your presentation. I'm sure Mufasa is very proud of you." Sarabi said wistfully

"I wish he could've met Kopa. I bet he'll look just like him when he grows up..." Simba replied, nuzzling Kopa

"I am sure Mufasa looks down on him from above." Nagato said with a glance at the sky outside

"The little tyke is brave..." Kisame said as he peered down at Kopa, who batted at him with a paw

"How is motherhood, Nala? My child will enter this world soon..." Konan chimed in, patting her swollen belly

"Kopa is wonderful, like a light to brighten up our lives. I'm sure you and Nagato will love your cub as much as Simba and I love ours." Nala said with a smile, taking Kopa gently from Sarabi and placing him down. The cub crawled towards Deidara's sculpture, patting it with a paw and letting out a confused mew.

"The kid thinks it's real." Kisame said with a chuckle

 _'I'll destroy Simba and his little family, they will pay in their blood!'_ Zira thought, snarling at the prince

* * *

Suddenly, Konan hissed in pain. She felt contractions go through her, but they did not fade. They got more intense, and she felt fluid gush down her legs.

"My water's broken!" She said in a panic

"Can you make it to the birthing cave?" Sarabi asked, standing up

"No...I must lay down..." Konan hissed and broke out in a sweat, lying down. Nagato hopped on his paws nervously, unsure of what to do.

"Breathe Konan, stay calm. Deidara, go get Rafiki!" Nala said, settling beside Konan. Deidara obliged and ran out of the cave, while the others sat in a circle around Konan

"What do I do, what do I do?" Nagato muttered, pulling at his mane in worry

"Just wait. Trust me, I learned that the hard way..." Simba said, glancing nervously at Nala

"Simba, it was your fault for getting so close to me while I was in such pain." Nala said, raising an eyebrow at him

"Yeah, well you gave me some pain too." Simba replies, selfconsciously rubbing his cheek

"I don't want to get beat up, I'm staying back here." Kisame said, backing up

The pride stopped chattering as Konan began giving pained roars, and watched what was happening. Even ZIra and her lieutenats were interested somewhat. Deidara ran into the cave, Rafiki close behind him.

"Come on Konan, you can get through this!" Nagato whispered, nuzzling Konan

"De cub is almost here, keep pushing." Rafiki said, getting behind Konan

"Damn it Nagato, this is all your fau-aaargh!" Konan clawed at the ground in pain

"Now I see what you meant, Simba." Nagato said nervously, ducking to avoid a blow from Konan

"Yep...but it'll all be worth it, you'll see." Simba said, and Konan gave a loud roar.

A lilac-grey bundle slid out of Konan, and Rafiki quickly picked it up and moved it to Konan's paws

"It is a girl." Rafiki said, smiling

The cub was similarly colored to Konan, but her fur had a tinge of pink in it, and her underfur was a light grey-lilac color. She was covered in light purple spots, and the end of her tail stub was the same color. She had a shaggy chin and shaggy cheeks, and a small fur tuft on her head that had light purple on the end of it. She had dark grey ear rims, and a small mark of the same color on her chin, similar to Konan's.

"She'll probably take after her mother, by the looks of her." Kisame said, padding closer now the birthing was over

"A little girl..." Nagato whispered, padding forward and lowering his head towards the cub

"Hmm, what should we name her?" Konan asked

"Perhaps...Umande. It means dew, de sparkling droplets of water left behind by rain." Rafiki said

"That sounds perfect...our little Umande." Nagato murmered, and the newly named cub batted at him with a mew

"Hey there, I'm your dad..." Nagato said, nudging Umande with his muzzle

The cub opened her eyes for the first time, revealing light aquamarine irises around large black pupils. Her eyes were encircled by grey fur, that also connected to her eyebrows.

(A/N: Yes, I know lion cubs aren't supposed to open their eyes this early, but in the TLK-verse things are different.)

"I think those eyes are from you, Nagato." Konan said with a smile

* * *

"See, I told you it would be worth it." Simba said softly

"Oh, I missed it! Well, congraulations anyway you two." Sarafina said as she entered the cave, trailed by Mheetu and Nuka

"Did me and Nuka wook wike dat mama?" Mheetu asked as he toddled over to Umande

"Yes, Mheetu. All cubs start out as fuzzy little bundles of joy..." Sarafina nuzzled her son and he purred

"She's kinda strange. Her fur is a weird color!" Nuka wrinkled his nose as Umande mewed at him

"Now now, Nuka. Many lions have differently colored fur, just look around." Sarabi chided softly

"Shouldn't you give the new parents some peace? Konan's probably exhausted." Zira piped up, mainly because she was sick of all the cooing and coddling

"For once I agree with her, hm. Cubs probably need a lot of rest." Deidara said, and the lions left Konan and Nagato to tend to Umande

"I never thought I'd ever have a child. There was so much danger in the shinobi world, never enough time to think about the simpler things..." Konan whispered as Umande nursed from her

"We don't have to worry about that anymore, Konan. Our Umande will have a safe and happy childhood, not one filled with war and suffering like ours." Nagato said, and nuzzled her

Zira growled lowly at the happy family. She hated the Akatsuki lions, though to a lesser extent than Simba. She believed they had aided in Scar's death.

* * *

"Kiujanja, have you managed to recruit any more lionesses?" She asked the lioness to her left

"Yes, two. I managed to clear their heads by letting their sister have an 'Accident'. They now doubt Simba can keep them safe." Kiujanja said with a nod

"Good, a couple more and we will be ready." As Zira said this, Vitani had crawled over to Kopa, who was resting beside Nala

"Mew?" Vitani squeaked as she touched Kopa with a paw. The cub woke up and responded by batting at Vitani. The pair began to playfully wrestle, and Nala smiled when she noticed.

"Well, looks like our young prince has found a friend." Simba said with a smile as he padded to his mate

"It would seem so." Nala agreed

"Vitani!" Zira growled when she caught sight of her cub, and padded over angrily. She quickly picked Vitani up in her mouth, earning protesting cries from her and Kopa.

"Zira, they were just playing!" Simba said

"I will _not_ have my daughter associating with your spawn." Zira snarled, and went back to her corner with Vitani

"I'm worried about her, Simba. She still supports Scar after everything that's happened..." Nala said with a frown

"It's okay, Nala. She has a right to stay here, but I won't let her try anything." Simba nuzzled his queen

The sun was almost down, and the pride curled up to sleep.

* * *

 **So that concludes the first chapter of this sequel! Not much really happened, I had to set everything up for when things get more interesting. If you want to see what Umande looks like, here's a link to a picture I made using a cub base: prntscr,com/9w98ph Just paste the link into your browser bar and replace the comma with a full stop. Same goes for this link, which is the full cover for this story. I'm linking it because when I uploaded it to this site it cut out Nala, Kakuzu and Hidan. prntscr,com/9sqcwh All credit for it goes to princessbinas, all I did was stick on the title and background. Next chapter there's a time skip, with the newborns aging to young cubs. A familiar mask appears as well, ready to disturb the peace. Drop a review if you want, I'd really like to know if this is a good start to this or not!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who left a follow or a fav, and to answer your question Grocamol: The immortal duo show up in this chapter, and will likely be playing a significant role in the future. This chapter an evil alliance is formed, and we see some new faces some of you might recognize.**

Umande and Kopa ran after Mheetu towards the river. The cubs had grown from newborns into pre-adolescents, while Mheetu and Nuka were close to becoming adolescents themselves. Mheetu had creamy fur, and a light brown mane tuft on his head. His eyes were cerulean unlike Nala's, and he was a bit small for his age. Kopa had a small brown mane tuft on his head, and his features more resembled Mufasa's than Simba's. His fur was golden, though a bit lighter than Simba's. Kopa had his mother's green eyes as well. Umande had grown a tuft on her head like Kopa, the same color as her tail tuft, though it was not as thick. Vitani and Nuka were with their mother, who was attempting to teach Vitani basic combat techniques. Vitani was a scruffy, slim cub with bright orange-tan fur and a pink nose. Her cheeks were fluffy, and her ears were rather large. Her most unique features were her deep dark blue eyes, surrounded by dark eyeshades, and the tuft on her head. Nuka was about the same size as Vitani, and was very scrawny and grubby, with grey-brown fur. He had a stringy mane tuft on his head, onyx like his father's, and the crimson eyes of his mother. Zira had moved away from Pride Rock, into a smaller cave near the border with her cubs and followers. She'd also taken to calling her group "Outsiders" and the lions who followed Simba "Pridelanders". Zira believed it best to distance herself and her followers from the enemy's influence, in case treachery occurred.

"Hey Mheetu, could you show us how to swim in the river?" Kopa piped up

"Kopa, your parents would kill me. You're too young to swim yet." Mheetu replied

"Oh come on Mheetu, I'm the prince! I'm strong, I bet I can swim just fine." Kopa protested, puffing out his chest

"Kopa, being the prince doesn't make you a super lion." Umande said, rolling her eyes

"Hmph, I still bet I could do it..." Kopa muttered

The trio arrived at the small river, where various other animals were cooling off. It was the dry season in The Pridelands, and water was crucial to the animal's survival.

"That water looks actually kinda nice. Mheetu, can you _please_ show us how to swim?" Umande made a puppy-dog face, and the older cub slowly relented

"Okay, fine. But only a _very_ quick lesson, I don't want you guys drowning." Mheetu led the pair to a shallow-looking part of the waterhole, and proceeded to teach the cubs how to swim.

* * *

"You must show no mercy, Vitani. All things weaker than us do not deserve to continue their pathetic existence." Zira snarled as grabbed a squirming mouse from under Vitani's paw and crushed it brutally

"But why mother?" Vitani asked innocently, frowning at the bloody mess on the ground

"Because, in this world only the strongest survive. The weak must not be allowed to leech off of what is ours!" Zira smacked a butterfly Vitani was batting at

"Mother! Hey, mother! I caught you a-" Nuka came bounding up with a field mouse hanging from his mouth by it's tail, but stopped abruptly when Zira glared at him

"Nuka, I have told you not to interrupt your sister's lessons! It is crucial she learns to fight." Nuka shrank under Zira's gaze, and dropped the field mouse by her feet

"Why can't I have lessons?" Nuka whined

"We've discussed why. You are unworthy, and you always will be. In my eyes, and in my dear beloved's especially!" Zira gained a distant look in her eyes at the thought of Scar, but quickly snapped out of it and snarled at Nuka, prompting him to run off

"Well, now that your weakling of a brother has interrupted us, we are finished for today. I have things I must attend to." Vitani nodded and Zira padded off

Vitani didn't get much time to herself, and when she did she rarely spent it playing. Zira had drilled it into her that she should spend every moment she had practicing her hunting and fighting, so that she would grow stronger. Vitani knew very little about fun and games, only misty memories from when she was a newborn.

The scruffy cub sniffed the air for prey, and detected the faint scent of a hare. She lowered herself into a crouch, and silently followed the smell. The hare was a young one, nibbling at a flower. Vitani smirked and got ready for the kill, when a cry pierced the air and sent her prey running.

"Help!"

* * *

 **"Are you sure about this, Tobi?** Would it be a good idea to just leave Sasuke here?" Zetsu said to Tobi, who was preparing to travel back to the other dimension

(A/N: **Bold=Black Zetsu** Normal=White Zetsu)

"He will do fine without me. I should only be gone for a few days at most, time works differently between the two dimensions. Make sure nothing happens while I am gone" Tobi activated his mangekyo sharingan, and prepared to focus kamui

 **"But what if you get trapped in the other place,** how would we know what happened?"

"I will not get trapped. I have planned carefully for this, and my chi has been honed appropriately. I must go now, and tie up some loose ends." With a final nod at Zetsu, Tobi activated kamui, and after a few seconds he was gone.

Tobi felt his body change when he entered the "Lion Dimension", and clumsily fell over when he materialized. He quickly felt his face with a paw, and was relieved to find his mask was still there. Tobi had appeared near the Prideland's border, and he could see the familiar rock in the distance. He slowly got up, and spent a minute readjusting to the quadrupedal body. Tobi's ears pricked up as he heard something approaching him, and he activated his mangekyo sharingan.

Zira pounced on the strange lion, or rather, pounced _through_ him. She was absolutely flabbergasted as she crashed into the ground behind the lion, but quickly got up to face her enemy. It was a male, with a strong build. He had brown fur, and light brown underfur. His mane was not as thick as most lions, only going over his shoulders and stopping there. His mane was onyx in color, fluffy and somewhat spiky looking. Zira felt unnerved when she saw that the lion's face was hidden by some strange orange thing on his face

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" She snarled

"Who I am is none of your concern, but I am looking for some lions." The lion before her spoke in a deep, rich voice, that sounded oddly familiar to her

 _'Wait...yes...he was there the day my dear Scar died! He had something to do with those Akatsuki lions, but he vanished after the battle...'_ She thought, and a suspicious frown spread across her muzzle

"You...you had something to do with those Akatsuki lions. What is your business here?" Zira stood up slightly from her crouch, but was still ready to defend herself if need be.

"I need to tie up some loose ends, regarding the lions you speak of. You sound as if you dislike them as well."

"I despise them, though not as much as that rat _Simba_ and his spawn. They aided the false king in killing Scar!"

 _'So she has a grudge against them. Hm, this could work in my favor.'_ Tobi thought

"Oh, is that so? Well, it seems to me that we have similar goals. I have powers that I can use to assist you in your endeavors, and you and whatever followers you may have could in turn help with mine. A partnership would be mutually beneficial, don't you think?" Tobi said casually

Zira considered her options _'Powers, he says? Well, I did just go through him as if he were air. If he has other abilities like this, he could be a good ally...yes, he could be a big help in destroying Simba's evil family! Then again, he could betray me. But if what he says is true, then his goals do not deviate much from mine. I suppose I shall agree...for now.'_

Zira straightened into a calm posture and nodded

"Yes, I suppose that would be in my best interests. Very well, I agree to this alliance."

"Hn." Tobi grunted, and held out a paw for a 'Handshake'

Zira looked at the offered paw in confusion, but slowly got the idea as she held out her own paw and clasped it in Tobi's. The lion shook it firmly, and then let it drop.

"Perhaps it would be best if I introduce myself to your followers, and then we shall decide what to do next." Tobi said, and Zira nodded

Slowly, the deadly duo padded back toward's Zira's cave.

* * *

Kakuzu approached The Grasslands with Hidan, having saved the target they were after. Kakuzu had a bag strapped to his side, made out of woven grass and crude leather by monkeys. He'd found a currency he could rely on, 'Shiny things.' Small traveling groups of birds existed that sold things for anything that was shiny, and some troops of monkeys also did this. Kakuzu had been satisfied with this, and had begun to amass a good collection of 'Shinies'. At first he had stored them in a hidden cache, but after buying the bag from some monkeys instead opted to just carry most of his 'Money' around with him, though still would return to deposit it in his cache every so often. Hidan was annoyed by Kakuzu's reborn greed, and was especially sick of him stopping to make sure he had been paid precisely the amount agreed upon. Kakuzu was not one to be swindled, and if he was he swiftly and mercilessly retaliated.

On rare occasions, the immortal duo, also know as "The Hunters" were contracted to rescue someone instead of kill or kidnap them. Most lions feared their fierce reputation would be unsuited for those kinds of jobs, so usually just sent them after an enemy of theirs. However, Kakuzu made sure to be just as efficient with these contract types as the others. Hidan saw them as an annoyance, as he was so used to killing everything in his path during jobs. Kakuzu kept him in line however, and made sure to keep the target alive. If it was a cub, he simply knocked it out carefully if need be and carried it back, having little tolerance for children. If it was a teen or adult, it could walk or run with them as long as it didn't talk. On this occasion it was a cub, and in his mouth Kakuzu held a mahogany newborn, barely a few days old and asleep. It had been grabbed by hyenas, who had taken him to their lair as an offering to their matriarch. Hidan and Kakuzu had caught them on their way to her, ad took them down easily. Hidan was grumbling profanities the whole way, and any small creature unfortunate enough to be in his path was promptly crushed.

The pair crossed the border into The Grasslands, a large plain covered in the long grass for which it was named. A river cut through it, flowing from The Pridelands and into The Wetlands. Up ahead was a large flat rock, on top of which was a small cave. This was where the pride resided, who had unique features such as shaggy coats and ear tufts, which helped them blend in with the grass and stay warm when it was windy or rainy. A male and female came running to Kakuzu when they saw the cub he carried, relief evident on their muzzles. They were the pride's king and queen, one of whom had traits more befitting of a Pridelander than a Grasslander. The king was named Malka, who had a yellow-orange pelt, cream underfur and amber eyes. His mane was bi-colored, being black around the top, bottom and center, but surrounded by light brown. The mane was quite shaggy, and it hung over his eyes somewhat. Malka also had a small black tuft on his chin and ear tufts to match his mane, plus tufts on his elbows. He had quite a strong build, though not quite as beefy as a Pridelander's. Kula was his queen, a lioness who was born in the Pridelands. She had a rich red-brown pelt, colorless paws, and cream-brown underfur. Her eyes were chocolate-brown, matching her pelt. Her build was one typical of most Pridelander lionesses, stocky yet agile.

Kakuzu gently set the sleeping cub down on the ground, and Kula wrapped her paws around him, laying down. As she groomed him, Malka grabbed a leaf bag in his mouth and dropped it at Kakuzu's feet.

"Thirty river stones, as agreed." The king said with a nod, and Kakuzu opened the bag to count them. Hidan mumbled something about Kakuzu being paranoid, impatiently scraping his claws on the ground.

After Kakuzu had finished counting, he nodded and put the stones in his bag, padding off to leave with Hidan.

"Thank you both, you'll always be welcome here for saving our prince!" Kula called out to the pair as they moved on to their next job.

* * *

"Huh?" Vitani wondered, momentarily distracted. She snapped out of it and leapt after the hare, but it was too late. She growled angrily, and heard the cry again.

"Help!"

Vitani followed the cry of distress, towards a river. Two lion cubs were being swept away by the currents, while an older one paddled after them. He managed to grab the pinkish cub in his jaws, but missed the golden one. Vitani sighed and leapt into the water after the spluttering gold cub.

As part of her training, Vitani had been taught how to swim. She wasn't very good at it, but she could swim at least. She wrapped a paw around the cub, struggling to fight against the current herself. A large rock was ahead of her, and she slammed into it deliberately. Vitani had the wind knocked out of her, but desperately clambered onto the rock with the cub. She coughed up some water, then promptly slipped into the darkness.

"Hey, you okay?" Vitani's eyes opened to the golden cub she had rescued, who was waving a paw in front of her. She moaned and drew in a shaky breath, slowly getting up.

"I knew this was a bad idea. I'm so dead!" Mheetu pulled at his small mane tuft anxiously

"Relax, everyone's okay. Besides, it was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have made you teach us." Umande protested

"Ughh, I feel like I got charged by a rhino." Vitani said, holding her head with a paw

"Thanks for saving me, whoever you are." Kopa said

"Yeah yeah, you cost me a meal. I'm not sticking around!" Vitani growled, and began to trot away

"Hey, wait!" Kopa cried indignantly, chasing after her. She was more agile than he was however, and he couldn't catch up.

"She didn't have to be so rude! I'm the prince, after all." Kopa mumbled, crestfallen

"Hey, it's okay bud. Not everyone's polite around here." Mheetu said as he padded up to the sodden cub

"Yeah, and besides. Just because you're the prince it doesn't mean you can boss everyone around!" Umande said with a smirk

"You too Umande? Ugh, let's just hope my parents don't find out about..." Kopa trailed off as he caught sight of Simba approaching with Zazu, a frown on his muzzle.

* * *

 **And so ends this chapter, next time Kopa and Vitani meet again, we get some insight on Zira and Tobi's plans, and we see what the hyenas have been up to. Some of you may recognize Kula and Malka, who are semi-canon TLK characters from comics, and who we'll see more of later on. I will likely introduce Tojo, Tama and Chumvi eventually too. Also, if you looked closely you may have caught a peek of someone who _is_ canon. Drop a review if you want, and see you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, welcome to chapter three. Vitani and Kopa get reacquainted and we see what murderous intentions Tobi and Zira have.**

Simba had found out what had happened thanks to Zazu, and was angry at his son for letting Mheetu show them how to swim. Though, he also felt a sense of deja vu, since he used to get into trouble as a cub as well. The cubs had been grounded, though Mheetu got off with a lighter punishment when Kopa and Umande stood up for him.

"Ugh, this is _so_ boring!" Kopa moaned, having been confined to the royal cave for some days now. He was allowed to go outside, albeit not very far and only briefly. Normally, one of his parents would come to check on him, but this time he was being babysat by Kisame.

"Uncle Kisame, can you _please_ let me go?" The cub pleaded to his guardian, putting on a puppy dog face

"Sorry kid, that trick won't work on me. Besides, you should be getting out this afternoon." Kisame smirked and cuffed him good-naturedly

"I'm never going near water again after this..." Kopa mumbled

A few hours passed, and Nala entered the cave, dismissing Kisame. Kopa was so impatient to get outside and play that he'd tried sharpening his claws on the cave wall-which was now marred with little scratches.

The queen simply looked at her son with a smile and gestured outside, causing the cub to shoot out of the cave and into the sunlight. Kopa whooped with joy as he bounded through the grass, finally able to stretch his legs after so long. Nala watched him go, silently hoping he wouldn't get himself into any more trouble. Kopa began to seek out Umande, hoping she wasn't still stuck. Unfortunately, when he found her, she was still grounded.

"Wanna play Umande? I just got out of-" He paused as he took in her lowered ears and melancholy expression

"Sorry Kopa, I'm still grounded. Besides, I don't want to get us into even more trouble..." The lilac cub turned away with a sigh and curled up to rest

"Oh...okay..." Kopa lowered his ears, mood dampened. He wandered around, trying to find a playmate. When he asked Sarafina where Mheetu was, she informed him that he was learning to hunt with the lionesses. Nuka was nowhere to be found either.

 _' Isn't there anyone I can play with?'_ An image of the strange cub who'd rescued him from the river surfaced in his mind, but he shook it away as soon as he thought of it.

 _'Nah, she seemed kinda rude. Then again, maybe she was just angry. I remember her saying that I cost her some food...'_ Kopa mulled this over in his head, unaware the very object of his musings was nearby.

* * *

Vitani was hungry. After her mother had moved them near the border, Zira had refused to let her or her cubs touch any food the "Pridelander" lionesses caught. A bitter frown crossed her muzzle as she recalled her mother's angry words that day.

 _"From now on, we only eat what we catch ourselves!"_ Zira's voice rang out in the small cave, and these words confused her followers

 _"Those Pridelander fools grow fat and lazy with their easy meals, but if we hunt for ourselves we shall remain strong. Hunger is a hindrance, yes, but at times it helps keep us sharp and ready for a threat. I am not suggesting we starve ourselves, far from it. We shall hunt our own food, and survive. While those idiot Pridelanders grow complacent and dull, we shall grow strong, and not just survive, but thrive!"_ Zira held up her paw in a fist for emphasis, and the other "Outsiders" roared in agreement.

* * *

She had been confused at the time herself, but soon came to accept her mother's words. Though Vtani was often hungry, as she was unable to share the food the adults caught, hunting at a young age had made her stronger and more agile than other cubs her age. Her mood was almost always dampened by hunger however, and she never had time to play or fool around.

Vitani crawled slowly through the long grass, the scent of a baby gazelle wafting through the air. A hunting party of Pridelanders had swept past a herd, scattering some, and separating her prey from it's mother. While killing baby animals was frowned upon in The Pridelands, Zira encouraged her daughter to ignore these rules and take what she could get whenever possible.

Vitani's claws unsheathed further as she prepared herself for a pounce. A feral grin spread on her muzzle at the anticipation of fresh blood, and in her impatience she pounced a bit sloppily. She missed her target and the gazelle baby bolted, but Vitani refused to give up. She chased after it relentlessly, growling. A certain prince saw the baby gazelle running, and tilted his head in confusion. Kopa moved to see what it was running from, and Vitani slammed into him. The cubs rolled on the ground and into a small ditch, landing with a thump. Vitani snarled and wrenched herself off Kopa, getting into a defensive posture. She faltered when she saw the bruised, dusty, but familiar cub before her.

"You again?! Urrrgh, that's the _second_ time you've made me lose my prey!" Vitani half considered smacking Kopa, but decided it would only cause her already bad mood to worsen, and with a sigh sheathed her claws.

"H-hey! I'm sorry okay, if you're hungry there's food back at Pride Rock." Kopa said quickly, unwilling to let her slip away again

"I'm not hungry, and even if I was I'm not accepting food from _them!_ " She growled, but she was lying to herself and Kopa. Vitani _was_ hungry, very much so. Even though her mother hated to associate with "Pridelanders" Vitani didn't really know much about them.

A loud growl was heard, coming from Vitani's stomach.

 _'Even my own body is against me...'_ she thought with exasperation

"Not hungry huh? Come on, we have plenty of food to go around! Besides, I kinda owe you for saving me from the river..." Kopa trailed off. Despite how grumpy she'd been when he met her, Kopa was eager to get to know another cub, and maybe even gain a new friend.

"Fine...but _only_ this time. I won't let myself get lazy by leaning on others..."

* * *

Vitani approached the group of feasting lionesses with caution, expecting some kind of ambush. When she made it to the food pile with Kopa, she took a small bite of a zebra carcass. Her eyes widened, and she quickly dove in for more, declaring it to be delicious. Kopa ate alongside her, glad to have a new cub around. Simba and Nala came on the scene, followed by the Akatsuki lions. Mheetu was off trying to hunt on his own, and Umande was still grounded-though she had been brought food.

"Why won't you let me improve the meat, Simba? My art could make it taste a lot better, hm!" Deidara was conversing with Simba

"Deidara, your art is cool and all, but don't you think it's a _little_ dangerous?" Simba replied

"Dangerous? My art is the ultimate experience! One brilliant, brief flash of beauty. So what if it blew up some animals?" Deidara shrugged, while Simba looked shocked

"...sometimes I think you're not all there, Deidara." Kisame commented

"You just don't understand true art, hm!" Deidara grumbled, and went to chew on a gazelle carcass. Kisame went over near Kopa and Vitani, while Nagato, Konan, Nala and Simba gathered around a wildebeest carcass.

"I agree with Simba. The art is nice, but I don't want to get singed again!" Nala quipped, recalling a memory

"He could blow up Pride Rock if he really wanted to." Nagato said

"He'd do it too, if it wasn't for you guys. He is a little insane." Konan continued, shocking Simba and Nala

Kisame absentmindedly looked around as he ate a zebra, and spotted the blood-covered cub stuffing her face. He raised an eyebrow, and saw Kopa next to her, smiling.

 _'Looks like the kid has a new friend...'_

"Hey Vitani, you should meet my mom and dad!" Kopa exclaimed, and Vitani broke out of her eating frenzy with a splutter

"W-what? Uh, no I don't think you should-" But it was too late, Kopa had already bounded over to the royals and was talking animatedly with them. Vitani ducked her head and tried to hide, fearful of the king and queen. Zira had told her about how cruel and evil Simba was, how he'd murdered King Scar in cold blood to take the throne for himself. Nala wasn't much better thought of either.

Simba and Nala made their way over to Vitani, along with Nagato and Konan. Kopa hopped around ahead of them, eager as ever. Vitani tried to look smaller and smaller as the lions got closer, and when they stopped over her she let out a squeak.

"Hey there, my son says that you saved him from the river." Simba said in a pleasant voice

 _'Huh?'_ Vitani's ears perked in confusion and she stood up a little

"It's alright, we won't hurt you." Nagato said soothingly

 _'Zira's probably told her all sorts of dreadful stories...'_

"I'll introduce us, if that's okay. I am Konan, this is my mate Nagato, and these are our friends Simba and Nala." Konan interjected

"Pleased to meet you." Nala said

"H-hi. M-my name's V-vitani." Vitani stammered, slowly relaxing

"Well, Vitani, I really am grateful you saved my son. You enjoying the food?" Simba asked

"Y-yeah. I haven't had this much to eat for a while!" Vitani perked up and began to gnaw on the zebra carcass

"See, I told you you'd like her!" Kopa exclaimed with a grin

 _'Hmmm...she looks a bit thin. Zira must have some part in it..'_ Nala thought with a frown as she observed the cub

Vitani ate a little more, then rolled onto the ground with a burp, satisfied.

 _'Maybe mother was wrong...they don't seem so bad.'_

Kopa smiled as they all idly conversed, talking himself occasionally. He was starting to think Vitani would be a great friend, if she'd give him the chance.

"Well Vitani, it was nice having you visit. Know that you're always welcome to come back if you want." Nala said as the cub moved to leave

"T-thanks..." Vitani whispered, and quickly ran into the grass.

* * *

Vitani looked at the setting sun as she made her way to Zira's cave. She became aware of a noise behind her, and spun around with a growl.

"Wait! It's just me!" Kopa said as he stopped, and Vitani sighed

"What do you want now? I've had your food, you've paid your debt. You don't have to keep following me!"

"W-well...I want to do one more thing to pay you back. I wanna show you how to have fun!"

"Fun? I don't have time for fun! I need to get back home, and practice my fighting with mother. Having fun doesn't help you survive." Vitani replied with a snort

"Maybe, but having fun is important for cubs, my dad told me!" Kopa said with a nod

"Simba? I don't buy it..." Vitani turned to continue her walk, but Kopa stopped her

"Just please, let me show you once. If you don't like it, you can just ignore me forever." Vitani mulled it over and sighed

"Fine...once." Kopa grinned and poked her with a paw, saying "Tag, you're it!"

Vitani watched him leap around her with confusion. What was he doing?

Kopa slowed with a frown when he noticed her confusion.

"Uh, tag? You know, I tag you and you run? Don't you know about playing?" Vitani gave him a look

"Oh...well, I'll tell you how it works then. I touch you, and say tag. Then you have to run after me to do the same thing to me, then I have to tag you, and it keeps going like that!" Kopa explained enthusiastically, and Vitani gained a smirk

"Tag, huh? Well..." Vitani gave Kopa a soft shove, knocking him over, and said tag

"Hey! Oh, I'll get you for that!" Kopa growled and chased after her with a laugh

* * *

Zira smirked as she beheld Tobi's power. She had allowed him to demonstrate on a follower of hers, who'd been tricked into being the victim. Tobi had focused his gaze on the lioness, and within seconds she was writhing on the ground, twitching and convulsing. Tobi walked up to her slowly, and swiftly slashed her throat. Zira was delighted as the lioness gurgled her last breaths, and decided that the alliance would be a very good idea indeed.

"Well...your power is certainly a thing to behold. If that is only a small fraction of it, I look forward to more...demonstrations."

"I am at your disposal for the moment. Now tell me, who is it you plan to kill?" Tobi replied as he turned to her

"Simba's filthy son and his mate. I will make him _suffer_ before the end! He will plead for death, and I will make him feel agony for it!" Zira said passionately, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across her muzzle

 _'She's completely obsessed with her revenge. I'll help her for now, but in the end she will be at **my** disposal.' _Tobi thought

"I'll need to lure them out somehow, and when I do, you'll go after the queen while I get the filthy brat." Zira snarled at the mere thought of Kopa, and Tobi nodded

"Very well. After your revenge is done, you shall help me with my goals." Tobi replied, and Zira nodded absentmindedly, padding towards Kiburi

"Kiburi...I need you to scout out the Pridelands for something I can use to lure out Simba's pathetic family. Be sure to stay hidden, and if you get found just come up with an excuse. They aren't onto us yet." Kiburi nodded and padded out of the den

"Simba...your reign will _end._ " Zira growled under her breath

* * *

 **I know I said the hyenas would be in this chapter, but they'll have to be in the next one as I am out of time for this chapter. Next time a friendship is formed, and a plan set in motion. Drop a review if you want, and see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, welcome to chapter 4! We see what the hyena clan is up to, Vitani and Kopa become friends, and Zira's plan is set in motion. To answer your review princessbinas: That is a very good idea, but I'm not sure how I would execute it. Kisame could maybe tell Deidara about Itachi, since he was his partner, and maybe better his opinions. Bringing in Sasuke would be a bad idea, because he's evil as all hell right now and Deidara would just hate the Uchiha more for it. Plus my memory of him at that point in Shippuden is a little foggy, so I'd probably make a continuity mistake. Anyways, onto the chapter!**

Kiru and Kanhi approached the canyon cave system, each holding a chunk of meat in their mouths. The hyenas were of a different breed than most of the others, having brown-toned pelts and spots, and thick brown fur tufts on their heads. Kiru was the youngest, with orange eyes akin to peach, and an optimistic outlook. Kanhi was older, with yellow eyes and a more serious personality. As they entered the caverns, they saw many other hyenas going the same way, also with food. The hyena clan was ruled over by a matriarch, Mayabi. During Scar's rule, she had sparked a rebellion and formed a group of hyenas to take down Scar. In the end she had succeeded, though their numbers were diminished. She had lead them out of The Pridelands, and into a system of canyons not far from The Grasslands.

Mayabi had decided it best to keep away from The Pridelands and their old home, and most of the clan agreed with her. The lands were abundant with animals to hunt, and since Mayabi had witnessed how draining hyenas could be on the ecosystem, she placed down hunting rules. This irritated some of the hyenas, and they disliked her. They said she was "Acting like a lion.", but whenever she caught wind of someone treasonous she'd quickly get rid of them. After placing the hunting rules, Mayabi had also said that while the hyenas were allowed to hunt for themselves, they must also allocate a portion of meat to a large pile every now and then. This pile was for the younger and weaker hyenas to feed on, so they could become strong again. Mayabi knew they needed numbers, not a single pup would be left to die.

She also decreed that, if certain hyenas wanted to gain her favor or rise in rank, they could bring her food as tribute. It was not essential, but hyenas would do it, seeing that she was a powerful leader and that to go against her would be unwise. She also had a small number of suitors, since she was still without a mate. Mayabi mostly ignored them, content to rule by herself for the time being. Though she did her best to silence potential threats, Mayabi did have opposition. A small fraction of the clan disliked her new ways, wanting to go back to the old times when it was every hyena for themselves. They plotted in secret, to find a way to overthrow her. So far, however, they had few ideas. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were Mayabi's lieutenants, making sure everyone knew their place and did not go out of line.

Kanhi sighed as he walked beside his brother, and spoke

"I get kinda sick of doing this. Mayabi's idea is good and all, but what's gonna happen when there's too many of us?" The brothers made their way over to the large meat pile

"She'll find some way around it. Maybe she'll find more land with enough food for forever!" Kiru replied optimistically

"Kiru, you gotta get over this little crush on the matriarch. She already has a lot of suitors, and doesn't care for them. Besides, you're pretty low in rank..." Kanhi stopped to place his chunk of meat on the pile

"Well, I knew her a little as a pup. Maybe she _does_ know who I am. Besides, what's not to like? She's strong, beautiful, smart, a good leader..." Kanhi sighed as his brother gained a lovesick look

"Maybe...maybe I'll bring this to her as tribute instead." Kiru turned from the pile, but Kanhi pulled him back with a paw

"Are you crazy?! You know the rules, we have to give it up to the pile. If you just gave it as tribute, we'd get in big trouble! Once a hyena starts the walk to the pile, they can't go elsewhere until they've deposited their meat. Kiru, this infatuation is going to your head! Do you really want to deal with _her?_ " Kanhi whispered, and pointed to Shenzi, who was on a ledge overlooking the hyenas

Kiru sighed, and placed his meat on the pile.

"Okay...but mark my words, someday, I'll get her to see me!" Kiru said with a determined look

"Keep dreamin' kid, keep dreamin..." Kanhi said with a roll of his eyes as they padded away.

* * *

Vitani had been playing tag with Kopa for a while, and she was rather enjoying herself. She'd thought playing was a waste of time as Zira had told her, but it was _fun._ Vitani was a bit rougher than Kopa, often toppling him over when she went to tag him. She was also faster than him, and thanks to her hunting practice had the advantage. Kopa had a silly grin on his face, enjoying his game very much. Eventually they became too tired, and by then the sun had just set.

The cubs lay panting, exhausted but still smiling. Vitani looked up at the stars beginning to appear and felt content. She suddenly snapped to attention, noticing how late it was. She got up and began to walk, causing Kopa to become confused.

"Hey, where are you going? We still have time to play!" Kopa protested and followed Vitani

"Listen, princey, my mom will kill me if I don't get home soon. It was fun, but I gotta go." Vitani turned but Kopa leapt in front of her

"Okay, fine! But before you go can you at least tell me your name?" He asked hopefully

"What? I told your parents, weren't you listening?"

"I eh...wasn't really listening to them. I'll tell you my name first, I'm Kopa." Kopa said with a grin

"Heart? Sounds kinda sappy, but whatever. My name's Vitani."

"Sappy? Your name is odd for a girl, 'Demon of War'." Kopa said with a frown and Vitani sighed

"My mom called me that so I can grow up tough. I'd rather be called that than something cushy like 'Flower'."

"Wait, I didn't mean it as an insult, I think it's cool!" Vitani tilted her head and felt a smile spreading across her muzzle

"Well, thanks. Maybe we could play again sometime. See you around, prin-Kopa." Vitani broke into a run and went towards Zira's cave, leaving Kopa behind with a grin

 _'I've got a new friend!'_ With this thought, the young prince padded back to Pride Rock.

* * *

Zira had been annoyed when Vitani had returned so late.

"Vitani, where have you been? You missed your training!" She growled as the cub entered

"I-I was out practicing my hunting! I lost track of time, but I can make up for it!" Vitani begged

"Fine, you shall go without punishment this once. But I expect you to test your limits tomorrow with you aunts. I must go away for a few days, I have business to attend to." With that, the tan lioness turned away, and Vitani almost collapsed with relief.

 _'What am I thinking? Hanging out with Simba's son, if mother finds out who knows what she'll do! I've gotta be really careful next time...'_

* * *

True to her word, Vitani had met up with Kopa again a few days later. By now Umande had been ungrounded, and had resumed playing with Kopa and Mheetu. Mheetu they saw less of however, as he spent most of his time with Nuka or practicing hunting. He'd said he wanted to "Be more mature." Simba and Nala had made an announcement: Nala would soon be having another cub. Kopa was unsure about having a sibling, but accepted the situation as best he could. When Vitani had found Kopa, he was not with Umande.

Kopa was happy to see her again, and managed to bring her to Pride Rock for another visit. Simba and Nala were still quite nice to her, to Vitani's suprise. Slowly, as she visited more, she found herself even liking them. When Vitani did meet Umande, she acted neutrally towards her. The cub didn't anger her, but she wasn't sure if she would like her either. Vitani and Kopa had been growing closer, and they began to develop feelings for one another. Simba and Nala noticed this, and discussed the possibility of the pair being betrothed. Their only obstacle was Zira, who would surely never consent to it. Vitani believed her feeling to be dangerous, since Kopa was technically the enemy. On the other hand, Kopa badly wanted to confess to Vitani, but was too nervous to do so. This changed one day however, when the cub trio went exploring.

"Hey Kopa, any idea what we can do today? I'm getting bored of the games we usually play." Umande said to the prince

"I'm glad you asked Umande, cause I found out about something really cool we can do!" Kopa grinned and sat down, causing the two she-cubs to sit beside him

"Pfft, like what?" Vitani scoffed

"Well, my uncle Kisame told me about this cool tree. It has all kinds of weird things in bowls, like powders and pastes and liquids. He said some of the stuff there can do incredible things, but a weird monkey lives in it." He whispered, and Umande found herself listening. Vitani however, was still not buying it.

"Oh yeah? Well if this tree _does_ exist, how are we gonna get in?" Kopa grinned, and explained his plan

"Well, uncle Kisame also told me that you can sneak in when the monkey's away. The tree is big and has a thick trunk, so we'd have to climb up it. Once we're in, we can mess around with the bowls, or maybe even take one back to Pride Rock!" Kopa's eyes gleamed at the prospect of an adventure

"That actually does sound fun. Sneaking is my specialty!" Vitani said with a smirk

"Yeah it does! Where's the tree?" Umande asked

"Just follow me, I know the way." Kopa got up and padded forward, the others following him

* * *

"Whoa. That is a big tree." Umande said, as the trio looked up at the huge baobab tree before them

"Well duh. Still, I bet I could climb it!" Vitani claimed, and jumped onto the thick trunk. She clung on with her claws, and dragged herself upwards with strain.

The other two tried, but Kopa's claws weren't sharp enough, and Umande kept slipping.

Unaware to the cubs, someone was watching them.

Kiburi growled as she watched Vitani climb the tree, seething with anger at this supposed betrayal.

 _'So **this** is what she's been up to...consorting with the enemy! Zira needs to know of this, I'll report back to the cave shortly.' _ The grey-brown lioness stayed crouched in the grass, observing.

"Vitani, we can't get up! You're gonna have to get a bowl for us!" Umande called to the climbing cub

"Okay, I'll try. I don't think the crazy monkey is here!" Vitani replied, and with a groan hauled herself onto the tree's branches. She gazed with awe at the room within, filled with all manner of containers, drawings covering some of the branches. She looked around, and satisfied she was alone, padded in. Vitani peered at bowls of powder beneath the drawings, and dipped her paw in one. She saw a drawing of a lion cub next to a lioness cub, the former having a spot of brown on it's forehead and the latter looking shaggy. Beneath them were three cubs, one pinky-purple, one cream, and one grey-brown.

 _'Is that...me and Kopa?'_ Vitani lifted her stained paw to touch Kopa's drawing, but stumbled and smeared some of it on the drawing. When she composed herself, she saw a messy red line going through it. She tried to wipe it off with her other paw, but only made it messier.

 _'Oh great, now the monkey'll know someone's been here! And I messed up Kopa's picture. Oh well...'_ Vitani sighed and looked around, spotting a bowl and a gourd on a platform. As she looked, she saw the bowl was filled with a blue-tinged liquid, and the gourd was filled with a viscous clear liquid. Deciding she'd better bring something back, she carefully grabbed the bowl in her mouth, and strapped the gourd over her shoulder using a nearby vine.

Vitani looked down at the ground from the top of the tree and gulped, but slowly began to climb down it anyway. As she looked down, she spotted a shape in the grass. Looking closer, it seemed to be a lioness, a very familiar looking one at that. Vitani gasped in recognition, dropping the bowl and losing her balance.

Kiburi growled as Vitani fell, and quickly fled to avoid being discovered.

 _'This may not all be bad. Zira might have her bait after all...'_

Vitani screamed as she fell, and while Umande caught the bowl in her teeth, Kopa moved to catch Vitani. Said cub landed on him with a thump, escaping harm. Umande accidentaly swallowed some of the blue liquid from the bowl she held, causing her to drop it with a splutter. The clear liquid from the gourd had spilled onto Vitani's head, and turned out to be very sticky. The way Vitani had landed, her muzzle was brushing against Kopa's, and the sticky liquid had stuck them together. When the pair opened their eyes and saw this, they both blushed and frantically tried to pull away. They managed to un-stick themselves, but Vitani refused to look at Kopa. The prince gulped nervously, and tried to distract himself from what just happened.

"H-hey! Look at your tuft, it's covered in that sticky stuff!" He said, and Vitani turned in confusion, then caught on to what Kopa was doing

"O-oh yeah, the gourd spilled on me. It's gonna take forever to come out, must be some magic sap or something." She said, trying to act normal

"I swallowed some of that blue stuff!" Umande coughed, feeling a burning sensation in her chest

"Do you feel okay?" Kopa asked

"My chest is burning, but it seems to be going away now..." Umande sighed and sat down, feeling tired

"W-well, uh, I gotta go!" Vitani stuttered, and dashed away from the cubs without another word.

* * *

Zira perked her ears up as she heard the mewling of a newborn. She'd been wandering the lands for two days, seeking a cub she could steal to raise as her own. Zira had discovered a while ago that she was infertile, and could no longer produce cubs. So, she decided to find herself an heir instead. She'd entered The Grasslands, having caught wind that a pride of lions lived there, ruled by king Malka and queen Kula. As Zira followed the mewling, she found herself in a small cave, where a brown lioness lay sleeping.

 _'That must be the queen!'_ She realized, having spotted her earlier with the pride's king

As Zira crept closer, she saw the cub nestled in her paws. It had a rich mahogany coat, and a dark brown tuft on it's head. As it turned to Zira and opened it's eyes, she was astonished to see they were a dark emerald green. Sniffing the cub, she confirmed that it was male.

 _'Not only does he look perfect, but he's a real prince as well! Oh, Scar, this couldn't be better!'_ Zira grinned with glee, and very gently picked up the cub in her jaws. The cub yawned, but didn't make any more noise. Satisfied, Zira moved to run out of the cave. On her way, she accidentally knocked over a bone, waking Kula. Zira growled and stayed silent, freezing for the moment.

"Kovu?" Kula asked with worry when she noticed her cub was missing

 _'Kovu! Oh, this cub truly **is** a blessing!' _Zira felt absolutely ecstatic, and quickly ran as fast as she could out of the cave, and soon out of The Grasslands.

* * *

Zira returned to The Pridelands some time later with Kovu, and entered her cave. The cub was rather hungry, so Zira gave him to a lioness who had recently given birth so he could nurse.

"Treat him well. He is Kovu, and he is our prince. When the time comes, he shall kill Simba and reclaim the throne that's rightfully Scar's!" The lioness nodded, and Zira nuzzled Kovu before catching sight of Kiburi approaching her.

"Queen Zira! I have found something we can use to lure Kopa and his mother away, but you won't like it." Zira frowned, and when Kiburi had explained what Vitani had been doing, she was absolutely livid

"How DARE she! I raised her, fed her, taught her to survive! And she stabs me in the back, by consorting with Simba's filthy _spawn._ " Zira spat, slashing at a rock in her fury

"Calm yourself. Vitani is still useful to us, you can use her to complete your plans." Tobi said as he padded towards them

"As much as I hate to say it, you are right. Perhaps Vitani's mind will clear once I kill that pathetic prince. Very well, we act tomorrow. You will lead Nala away from the safety of Pride Rock, and kill her. Meanwhile, Vitani will get Simba's spawn alone, and I will kill him." Zira said, and the lions nodded.

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! Shit's gonna hit the fan, guys. Also, Mayabi is the hyena from the first story, who Tobi influenced to rebel against Scar. She's led the remaining hyenas to a new life, where they will be safe-for now. I know the Akatsuki lions haven't appeared much so far, but that's because I've wanted to focus on the new generation a bit more. They will get more attention soon though. Next chapter stuff gets dicey, and tragedy occurs. We also get our first glimpse of Kiara, who will become more prominent from this point. Drop a review if you want, and see you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, here's chapter five. Sorry I took so long...school took over, and I've been trying to sort out some stuff I've ordered. Since it's Valentines day (for some at least) there's a little bit in here to do with that. It's not as sweet as you may think, though. The last chapter had some implications about this one, if you look closely. Here's where the story shifts into the second half, and shit hits the fan. without further ado, onto chapter five.**

Vitani ran as fast as she could back home. She just wanted to get away, to get away from the weird feelings that had been plaguing her recently. She'd become friends with Kopa recently, but her new feelings were a bit unlike friendship. Vitani wanted to be near Kopa, to snuggle with him and kiss him and all kinds of mushiness she'd thought was beneath her. Vitani felt conflicted about this.

 _'On one paw, I could tell him. He'd probably think I was stupid though, and it'd ruin the whole friendship. Plus, if mother ever finds out I'll be better off dead. Besides, Kopa's a prince and I'm just some scruffy ugly cub, it'd never work out.'_ Vitani's ears lowered as she continued her melancholy thoughts.

"Hey! Vitani, wait up!" Vitani sighed as she heard Kopa's voice from behind her

"What do you want?" She snapped as he caught up

"I-I'm sorry about what happened back there, okay? I didn't mean to catch you like that..." He sat down next to her with a sigh

"Look, you don't need to apologize. It was my fault for falling anyway." Vitani replied

"B-but I thought you were mad at me cause I kinda...kissed you?" Kopa fidgeted nervously and blushed

"No, not really. Now can we just drop it?" She growled

"Sure, but first I gotta tell you something Tani..." Kopa's blush darkened and he gulped

"You s-see...we've been friends for a while, but I've been feeling weird around you lately..." As Kopa continued, Vitani's eyes grew large from a mix of hope and dread

 _'No, no no! Please Kopa, don't say it! It won't work out...'_

"And..well...I think I like you. Like, like you like you." Kopa finished, nervously awaiting Vitani's response

"...Kopa, you shouldn't like or love me. I mean look at me, I'm so scruffy and furry I look like a boy, my ears are way too big, I'm always rough and I don't act graceful or girly at all, and my stupid eyes are blue and shaped different. You deserve someone prettier and better, like Umande. I'm the wrong kind of cub." Vitani turned to leave, ears drooped in sadness, when Kopa stopped her

"Tani, I don't _want_ someone else. Me and Umande are just friends, besides, I like you for you. I think your tuft and eyes make you look unique, and beautiful in your own way. You're also the strongest, smartest and fiercest cub I have ever met." Kopa smiled and Vitani felt herself give in to her heart

"This is a bad idea but, well...I-I like you too, okay? It's stupid for me to, I mean come on, you're a prince and I'm just a-" Vitani was cut off when Kopa pushed his muzzle onto hers. The cubs stayed like that for a few seconds, then pulled away.

"Well, looks like you're stuck with me then." Kopa said with a smile, and Vitani found herself returning it

Unbeknownst to the cubs, a pair of red eyes had been watching their exchange with anger. Zira had to restrain herself from killing Kopa then and there.

 _'Patience...I will get Vitani to lure him, and then I'll clear her mind of that filth's poision!'_ Zira snarled quietly and stalked off to her cave

* * *

Vitani entered Zira's cave, a radiant grin still on her face.

"Hey Tani, what'cha smilin' about?" Nuka asked as he saw his sister

"Oh-uh, nothing. I just caught a big rabbit earlier. What're you doing?" The grin faded from her muzzle

"Me and Mheetu were practicing our hunting! I'm getting really good, I bet I could even impress mother!" Nuka exclaimed with a grin

"Pfft, that's never gonna happen. You know how mother is, she'll only ignore you even more now she has Kovu." Vitani rolled her eyes

"Even with that stupid Kovu around, I'll find some way to get her to notice me!" Nuka said with determination, and the siblings padded over to their aunts

* * *

Mheetu snuck around outside Zira's cave, looking for prey. He'd been with Nuka earlier, and instead of going back to Pride Rock opted to stay and keep hunting on his own. Mheetu had grown a bit, his mane tuft having become thicker and his body more muscular, though he was still a fair way off of being an adult. Mheetu spotted a rat squeaking, and lowered himself into a crouch. However, he stopped when he heard voices near him.

"We strike now. I'll have a little chat with Vitani, and you will go and find Nala. Do with her what you will, just make her suffer, and kill her. I'll take care of the brat, and afterwards we meet back up here if possible." The voice was raspy and female, and Mheetu recognized it to be Zira

 _'She's gonna kill sis?! I gotta get help!'_ Mheetu thought with shock as he moved to run

"Going somewhere?" A sinister voice cackled

Kiburi closed in on him, and when Mheetu moved to go the other way he found himself blocked by Kiujanja

"Can't have you running off and warning the queen, now can we?" Kiujanja said, unsheathing her claws

"H-hey aunts, wait!" A voice cried, and Nuka came running to the scene

"Nuka, just in time. You did well by informing us of this little trespasser." Kiburi said with a smirk, and stunning Mheetu

"You...you did this?" He whispered, unable to comprehend his best friend would betray him so

"I sw-swear I didn't mean-mother, she was suspicious and..." Nuka babbled, stumbling over his words

 **"TRAITOR!"** Mheetu roared, and pounced on his former friend

The pair scuffled, Mheetu viciously clawing at Nuka while the latter tried to defend himself. The sisters looked on with amusement, intending to stop it eventually.

 **"This is for my sister!"** Mheetu cried, and whacked Nuka hard on his chin, leaving four deep gashes on it that would likely scar. Kiburi had had enough and swatted Mheetu off Nuka, growling

"Alright brat, get going. Leave here and never come back, or we'll rip out your throat here and now!" Kiujanja snarled, advancing on him.

Nuka meanwhile was sitting holding his chin, which was dripping blood. He turned to look at Mheetu, and winced at the gaze of absolute hatred staring back at him.

"Fine! But I swear Nuka, if my sister dies, I **_will_** hunt you down, and make you _suffer!_ " Mheetu hissed, and ran towards the border as the sisters snapped at him.

"Don't mourn for that coward, Nuka. You have done well, indeed." Kiburi said as Mheetu became a spot in the distance, and escorted him to get his chin healed.

 _'Praise from mother is not worth losing my friend...never...'_ Nuka thought as he fought back tears

* * *

The sun was setting, painting the skies red and ushering in the darkness of night.

"Now Vitani, I assure you I simply want to talk to this...friend of yours. Perhaps he is not evil as his father is." Zira insisted as she walked with her daughter through the tall grass. Following a distance behind her were a posse of Zira's lionesses, Kiburi and Kiujanja included.

"O-okay mother...he's nice, you'll see!" Vitani was wary of her mother's sudden change of heart, but was too naive to really see the underlying threat in Zira's words

Near them, Kopa was watching Deidara as he molded clay with his hand-mouths.

"Uncle Deidara, how do those mouths on your paws to mold shapes?" The cub asked

"These are no ordinary mouths, hm! I can use them to mold almost anything I wish." Deidara responded, and his paw produced a small bird. Deidara pushed a small amount of chi into it, and the bird fluttered around.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Kopa asked as he watched the creation move about

"Using chi, hm! Now watch, as I show you the true meaning of my art..." The bird flew above the pair and hovered, when Deidara clapped his front paws together

"HA!" The bird exploded with a bang, showering clay over Kopa and Deidara

"That was even cooler!" Kopa exclaimed, jumping up

"Be glad you witnessed it, hm. Most who do don't survive." Deidara said as he grabbed another lump of clay with a hand-mouth

"Huh? Why?" Kopa asked, confused

"Let's just say there's a reason Simba didn't want me to show you my art, hm." Deidara said with a frown, and his hand-mouth produced a lion cub.

The cub tottered around for a few moments, waving it's small tail. Kopa watched it with interest, when Deidara clapped his forepaws together again.

"HA!"

The cub exploded, with a louder bang than the bird. Kopa gulped as he processed what Deidara was meaning to convey.

"Oh..." The cub's ears lowered, and Deidara turned back to his clay pile

"So basically kid, don't get too close to my art." The lion said softly

"Sure. Well, bye uncle Deidara. I still think your art is cool though!" Kopa smiled and hopped off towards the river

"Be careful out there, hm." Deidara returned the smile, and proceeded to mold a clay spider.

* * *

"Hey Kopa, wait up!" Vitani ran up to Kopa, panting

By now the sun had set, and Zira found herself under the cover of darkness, much to her delight.

"Oh, hey Tani, what's up?" Kopa smiled at his girlfriend

"W-well you see, my mom wants to come and meet you!"

"Really?" Kopa asked hopefully

"Yup. She's following behind me." As if on cue, Zira emerged from the grass behind them, a fake sweet smile plastered on her muzzle.

"Ah, _there_ you are, sweet prince. I've heard about your friendship with my daughter, and I'd be positively _delighted_ if we could get better acquainted and discuss it." Zira said in a syrupy sweet tone

"Oh...well, okay! Tani's already met my mom and dad!" Kopa said, causing Zira's smile to falter for a split second, though she quickly remedied it. Vitani had caught the momentary slip however, and was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Uh, mother, should I stay or go?" She asked nervously

"Vitani, dear, go off and play while I get to know Kopa. A nice little...chat, is what we need." Vitani reluctantly nodded and left, intending to find Nuka or Umande.

As Zira watched her daughter disappear, a cunning smirk spread across her muzzle and she turned back to Kopa.

"Ah, alone at last. _Perfect._ " Zira slowly unsheathed her claws, and padded towards Kopa

"So...u-uh. What should we talk about?" Kopa asked nervously, feeling wary for some odd reason

"Oh, you _stupid,_ naive fool of a cub. Did you _really_ think I came here to chat and play nice. No, I've come to avenge my beloved Scar! You're the spawn of an evil tyrant, and you have tainted my daughter as well!" Zira snarled, and got closer to Kopa, who was shaking

The prince felt dread grow in his gut as he was backed up, and Zira raised a paw to strike. Said paw came down on him with a resounding _thwack,_ and Kopa screamed.

* * *

(A/N: A warning, this bit's a little...gory.)

Meanwhile, Tobi was carrying out his part of the plan. He was near the birthing cave, where Nala had earlier given birth to a daughter, princess Kiara. The queen was alone, having requested some time to rest after giving birth. Nala was lovingly grooming her daughter, when Tobi slipped into the shadows of the cave. The queen paused for a moment, sensing something... _off_. She quickly dismissed it as a symptom of exhaustion and resumed grooming Kiara.

"Over here, _your majesty._ " A deep, dark voice resounded, and Nala found herself turning to look for it.

Out of the shadows, a red eye gleamed. Within seconds, Nala was ensnared in Tobi's genjutsu, and got up in a trance. Kiara rolled onto the floor, asleep and unaware of what was transpiring.

 _'I'll leave the brat, it won't last long without it's mother anyway.'_ Tobi thought, and proceeded to lead Nala out of the cave and away from Pride Rock. The rest of the pride was sleeping, and not one noticed their queen being led to her doom.

"You were the one who went out and found my Akatsuki, led them astray. For that, I shall make you _pay._ " Tobi growled

In Tobi's genjutsu, Nala was following Simba's voice.

 _"Come on, Nala! This place'll be great!"_ The pair were cubs again somehow, going to the Elephant Graveyard as they had so long ago. The Akatsuki cubs were strangely absent, though she felt a presence somewhere around her.

Nala ran after Simba, and suddenly the bright grasslands they were in morphed into the gloomy and dark Elephant Graveyard.

 _"H-hey Simba, I think this was a bad idea..."_ Nala said as she shrank back, feeling an ever-growing terror in her chest

 _"Come on Nala, I laugh in the face of danger, HA HA HA-"_ Simba was cut short, when something behind him savagely ripped his head off.

Simba's body collapsed on the ground, his neck spewing blood. His head rolled on the ground, an expression of horrified surprise etched onto it.

Nala screamed in anguish as she took in the sight of her best friend's-no, her soulmate's lifeless body strewn upon the ground. A sinister laugh echoed behind Simba's body, and a paw stood on said cub's severed head. With grim satisfaction, Tobi stepped out of the shadows and crushed Simba's head like a ripe melon, splattering brain and bone onto the horrified Nala.

The cub shook in spasms, racked with pain from sheer and utter torment at the sight before her. Tobi laughed again, and held up Simba's body

"How does it feel, Nala? Having your loved one ripped away from you by a cruel world, to know you'll never see them alive again. I know this pain well, and so shall you." Tobi ripped Simba's body in half, throwing the upper chunk at Nala and tossing the back half behind him casually, as if it was simply a piece of trash.

Nala became soaked in blood, as she stared, frozen, at the stump where Simba's now smashed head was.

 _'DeadeadeadSimba, redredredeverywherecan'tgetitoutwhywon'titcomeout-'_ Nala's thoughts were rather similar to Tobi's-or rather, Obito's, when he'd seen Rin die.

"Now you shall know true suffering." Tobi intoned, as cackling echoed from the shadows. Hyenas emerged from them, circling the half of Simba Tobi had thrown away, and began to tear at it hungrily. Nala's emotions came crashing back to her as she dropped Simba's torso and threw up, horrified to discover bits of blood, brain and bone mixed in with it.

The hyenas turned to Nala, their muzzles spattered with gore. They cackled sinisterly, and as they descended upon her, Nala clutched what remained of Simba to her, and _screamed._

(A/N: Happy Valentines day! ;) )

* * *

In the real world, Nala was laying on the grass, writhing in agony as Tobi watched with sick amusement. Unbeknownst to him, someone nearby had heard Nala's muffled screams. Konan had been out hunting alone, when she heard the sound of her friend's voice. She'd crept up, quietly, and saw the queen laying on the ground. She was shaking in spasms that seemed to be ebbing off, as life began to leave her.

"No!" She whispered, caught between fight or flight.

Tobi heard the whisper behind him, and decided he was done with Nala. He severed the genjutsu, causing Nala to let out one last agonized scream. Promptly, he vanished using Kamui. Konan had seen the red gleam of Tobi's eye, and now knew who had done this.

Padding ever so slowly towards Nala, she checked the queen's pulse. Nothing. Frantically, Konan placed her ear on Nala's chest. Not a sound. Konan tried desperately to find some proof Nala wasn't dead, because how could she _be_ dead, so quickly?

Konan lowered her head in resignation, and she collapsed in sobs next to her best friend's body. Tobi had begun to take his revenge-and already, he had struck a heavy blow.

* * *

Zira laughed as she whacked Kopa again and again, gashing his body and bruising him. They were getting closer to the river's rapids, where the prince had almost drowned months ago. Kopa was screaming loudly, but Zira didn't care-she was too caught up in the moment. Vitani had heard the sound, and raced back to find her mother picking Kopa up in her jaws. Zira shook her head back and forth, further damaging Kopa and breaking one of his ribs.

"NO!" Vitani screamed, and leapt onto her mother. Zira roared in suprise and dropped Kopa, fending off her clawing and biting daughter. Zira shook Vitani off and swatted her harshly, knocking her out. The blood-covered lioness turned back to the battered prince, and gave him one last clawing, on his right eye. This blow sent the cub reeling backwards into the river, where he was quickly carried away by the current. Satisfied that her grisly deed was done, Zira turned-only to be greeted with sounds of a fight.

Zira and her posse had been spotted by Deidara, and he'd quickly gone to fetch help. Kisame was using the river water to rip through the lionesses, Deidara was using explosive spiders, and Nagato was using his rinnegan. Simba had also entered the fray, roaring. The lionesses were quickly subdued, leaving the lions panting.

Simba padded towards Zira, and gazed with horror at the blood splattered on her and the river's edge. Said lioness smirked when the king's eyes landed on her.

"Ah, Simba. I see you're wondering about all this. Well, I have just disposed of your _filthy little spawn._ It was never fit to live, especially to be a prince." Simba roared in fury, and pounced on Zira, about to crush her throat.

Just as he was about to do so, however, he saw Vitani lying unconscious nearby. As much as he despised the lioness before him, he could not allow himself to orphan innocent cubs. With a weary sigh, the king got off Zira.

"Get. Out." He snarled, barely able to contain his rage

"What?" Zira asked, baffled

"You and all your followers are now in exile. What you have done is unforgivable Zira, but I won't leave your cubs motherless. Take them and your followers, and get out!" Simba roared, but Zira's smirk merely widened.

"Ah, how gracious of you. Oh, and I'd go check on that queen of yours if I were you-she'll have been dealt with by now." Zira said casually, quickly grabbing Vitani and running off with her followers

Simba's eyes widened in shock, and he ran off as fast as he could towards Pride Rock, the Akatsuki lions following after him.

* * *

"Nala? Nala?!" Simba called frantically into the birthing cave

He was answered by the frantic mewing of Kiara, who was alone and shivering. Simba felt somewhat relieved, but was still immensely worried that Nala wasn't with Kiara. He picked Kiara up in his mouth, placed her in the paws of a sleeping Sarabi and raced back outside. A storm was brewing, the wind whipping the grass and thunder crashing. Kisame caught a whiff of Nala's scent, and lead the others forward. Rain began to come down, softening the dirt into mud and soaking the lions.

Kisame stopped suddenly, frozen at what he saw.

"What? What is it?!" Nagato asked frantically

Simba could take no more, and pushed past Kisame. The sight he was greeted with shook him to his very core. Konan was lying, sobbing, next to Nala's unmoving body. Simba all but collapsed, falling to the ground numb.

"S-simba...sh-she's dead!" Konan whispered

With these words, Simba felt something build up inside of him, and roared. It was a roar of pure and terrible agony, the roar of someone's who's very heart had bee rent in two.

The roar of a king who had lost everything.

* * *

 **So, uhhh...happy Valentine's Day *Shot* Anyway, this chapter was crammed full of tragedy, and this is the turning point for the story. I wanted to add a bit of a twist to the usual "Kopa storyline", so I killed off Nala. Next chapter details the aftermath of Zira's evil deeds, and how it affected the characters. Other than saying sorry for how long this took, there's not much more to put here. So, drop a review if you want and see you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So...hi...guys *Dodges rotten fruit* I apologize for being a lazy ass again, basically I finally got my copy of Naruto Shipudden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, and I got sucked into it for ages. Hell, I still am. This is partly because it features my favorite Naruto character prominently (Obito), but also because it's just plain amazing. So, if take any more long breaks, it's likely because of that game. Oddly enough, one of the story bits in it was titled "A Beast Roaring In The Tragic Rain", which matches the ending of the previous chapter, and it also fits with it for other spoilery reasons. A cool coincidence, I think. Plus I've gotten back into other stuff, add school to the mix and I've had little time for writing. Rest assured though, this story will be completed someday.**

 **Anyway, enough of that. Here's the aftermath of Zira and Tobi's murder.**

Zira stood in front of Simba, ready to accept her and her follower's exile. She had confessed to the murder of the prince earlier-not only that, but she was _proud_ of it. Tobi was nowhere to be found, apparently off to take care of some business. The only one who knew of Tobi's part in the murder was Konan, and she had been silent since Nala's death. Behind Zira were her followers, children, and Kiburi and Kiujanja. Lying next to Simba was Sarabi, with Kiara in her paws. The Akatsuki lions were also present, with the exception of Nagato and Konan who were at Pride Rock caring for an oddly sick Umande.

Exile.

This was the thought running through Vitani's head as she looked up at Simba's stern face. She was still numb, so painfully numb to what had transpired some hours ago. Kopa was gone, gone, gone. Vitani couldn't remember exactly what had happened, but when she woke up to find blood spattered around her, and Kopa gone, she had assumed the worst. The worst had happened, Kopa had been killed-by who, she didn't know. All Vitani knew was, her heart had shattered when she heard the words come out of Simba's mouth.

Next to Vitani stood Nuka, who was similarly conflicted. He hated himself for chasing off Mheetu, but at the same time was glad to have his mother praise him for once. After hearing word that the queen was also dead, Nuka knew for certain that if he and Mheetu met again, they'd fight-possibly to the death. For now he just sat, dejected, the fresh scars on his chin forever branding him as a traitor in his own mind.

Kovu was blissfully unaware of what was happening around him, sleeping peacefully at his adoptive mother's paws.

"You have been found guilty of the crime of murder, Zira. You have been given the punishment of exile, only because of your children. If you or your followers _ever_ set foot in The Pridelands after this day, I will deal with them personally. Now go, and never return." Simba snarled, and the posse of lions before him turned and began the trudge to the border. Zazu flew above them to ensure they would comply properly.

When they had gone, Sarabi spoke to her son.

"Simba-what about Kiara?" The former queen asked with a glance at the sleeping gold bundle

"She-she will become the crown princess. I'll have Rafiki present her as such in a few days. Kiara-she's all I have left of Nala and Kopa..." Simba stifled a sob, and Sarabi embraced her son. They stayed that way for a few moments, harkening back to days when Simba was just a vulnerable little cub.

When they pulled away, Simba bent his head down and nuzzled his daughter.

"Kiara, from this day on I swear, I will _never_ let anything bad happen to you, not ever..." He whispered

* * *

Nala had been given a funeral, and buried at the base of Pride Rock. Konan had stopped by the grave to grieve, still horribly missing her best friend. She'd not spoken a word since Nala's death, still seeing Tobi's red sharingan in her mind.

Meanwhile, Nagato was tending to Umande in Pride Rock's cave. The cub had been badly sick all day, moving little and shivering fiercely. Rafiki had checked on her earlier, but had merely sighed and said that there was naught he could do for the time being.

Making his way towards a cave was a certain one-eyed lion, along with a vicous-looking lioness. Tobi hadn't forgotten about Nagato's rinnegan, not at all. He'd merely had to wait for an ideal opportunity to steal the eyes. Zira had given him a follower with specific skills so that Nagato could be distracted, giving Tobi the opening he would need.

When Tobi had heard Simba's roar of anguish earlier, it had eerily reminded him of himself. He'd flashed back to his younger self, a broken-hearted boy who'd butchered dozens upon dozens of shinobi until the clearing was sodden with blood because of what he'd witnessed. A very small part of him had felt pity for Simba, but Tobi had quickly dismissed the thought. He wasn't Obito anymore.

Tobi heard a gasp, and saw a lioness had seen them. He grunted with annoyance, and swiftly used kamui to teleport and slash her throat. The old, creamy lioness fell with a thud, and Tobi spoke.

"He's in there...you know what to do." Zira's follower flinched, but complied and went into the cave silently.

Nagato sat, looking down at a whimpering Umande.

"D-daddy...what's happening to me?" she asked

"I'm not sure...just stay strong Umande, get some rest. I'll keep you safe." Nagato said, nuzzling the cub

"Tch." Nagato whirled around as he heard a noise, and Zira's follower pounced on him. She bit into his throat, and held onto it with an iron grip. As the lions wrestled, Tobi padded up to them slowly. Nagato couldn't get the lioness off him, and so focused his rinnegan on her. Umande had curled into a ball, trembling with fear. Tobi moved behind Nagato's head, and reached his paw down while Nagato strained to focus his genjutsu.

"AAaaaagh!" A cry rent the air as Tobi swiftly yanked Nagato's left eye out, and then went in for the other one. Nagato had been shocked out of focus, dazed to find he was half-blind. He screamed again as his right eye was also pulled out, and blood spurted through the air.

Nagato writhed in agony, clawing at his bleeding sockets. Tobi signaled for the lioness to release Nagato, then disposed of her with a quick blow to the neck.

"There, she'll take the fall..." He murmured, and glanced at the terrified cub

"Hmph." He grunted, deciding to just leave the cub to wallow in despair

With Nagato's eyes clutched carefully in one paw, Tobi used kamui to return to the shinobi world-the eyes would have to be stored immediately.

After Tobi left, the traumatized Umande at last lifted her head. Tears streamed down from purple, ringed eyes akin to the ones that had just been stolen from her father.

* * *

Zira sighed as she surveyed her new home. The Outlands were a dry, desolate place. The only life that seemed to inhabit them were swarms of termites, who'd build impressive structures to serve as homes. There was very little water to be found, the same went for food. Zira growled bitterly when she took in the sight of them, but decided they would provide adequate shelter from the sun.

When the pride was inside the largest termite mound, Vitani approached Zira.

"M-mother?" She whimpered

"What?" Zira snapped

"W-well...I-I know Kopa was killed and...I think it's my fault."

"What?!" Zira was perplexed

"Wh-when I woke up, there was blood all around me...and on me. You see, I-I went into this weird tree a little before that and-" Zira continued to listen with interest as Vitani poured out her troubles

Apparently, she'd gone into a tree and smeared a drawing of Kopa with red powder, and Vitani believed it connected to Kopa's death. She thought that since she had smeared the drawing, she had also killed Kopa.

An evil smirk spread across Zira's muzzle as her confused daughter finished her tale. This would be a perfect opportunity to cleanse the doubts in Vitani's mind.

"Oh, there there...now, I'm not sure what happened myself. Kopa and I had a chat, I had to go and investigate something, and when I came back I saw the scene you described. Perhaps you _did_ kill Kopa, and for that..." Zira had pulled Vitani to her, acting almost motherly

"...I am so _very_ proud of you." She finished

"Wh-what?" Vitani gasped

"You see, Vitani, Kopa was not the sweet, innocent cub he led you to believe. He was evil and corrupt, just like his father." Zira said, and saw her daughter take these words in

"B-but I loved him!" Vitani broke out in sobs, and Zira soothed her with a paw

"You may have loved him, child, but he did not love you. I could see through his lies the moment I talked to him. Kopa just wanted to use you, and in the end, Vitani, you gave him what he deserved." Vitani slowly stopped shaking, and when she turned to look up at her mother, her eyes held a hard glint

"I...I'm sorry mother. I should've believed you. I'm just glad that _liar_ is gone!" She spat, and Zira smirked with pride

 _'Ah, Scar, see how she is now free of Simba's taint! Vitani will make a fine soldier, indeed.'_ With these thoughts, Zira continued to feed her daughter lies, and watched as Vitani's heart continued to harden and break at the same time.

* * *

(A/N: To clarify what's going on here, Tobi's popped back and forth between the shinobi world and the TLK world to deal with various things, including the murder of Danzo.)

 **"So, you got Nagato's eyes?"** Zetsu said as he saw Tobi approach the laboratory, something clutched in his hand

"Yes, with surprisingly little difficulty. Using chi for jutsu in that world may be an inconvenience, but it certainly aided me with taking these." Tobi replied, looking at the shelves in front of him.

Dozens of eyes were afloat in bubbling yellow liquid in containers, each one from an Uchiha. Tobi wouldn't admit it, but the eyes unnerved him sometimes. They were, after all, once part of many of his relatives.

Tobi grabbed an open container, and slowly dropped the rinnegan eyes into it. Satisfied that they would remain preserved, he clamped on the lid and placed it in a drawer beneath the shelves.

 **"You know,** Sasuke seems to be getting restless. **I suspect he means to** leave the Akatsuki sooner or later." Zetsu said

"Hm, that is of little concern now. He has already disposed of Danzo, all I need him to do is cause a little distraction at the Five Kage Summit, and then he shall be free to go off and do as he wishes, as long as it does not conflict with my plans." Tobi replied, and turned to Zetsu

"Zetsu, I shall be going back to the other world in a moment, to take care of some loose ends. When I return, make sure Sasuke has been sent on his way." Zetsu nodded, and Tobi used kamui to teleport back to the "Lion World."

* * *

Something was floating along the river. This something was a lion cub, half drowned and barely alive. The river had carried him far from where he had fallen into it, and he would likely not last much longer.

The cub came to rest against some rocks close to the shore, vaguely aware of his surroundings. He began to crawl, painstakingly slowly out of the water. When he had done so, the cub coughed up water and wheezed. As he flopped onto the ground, the cub strained to recall what had brought him there. Try as he might, however, the lion cub only found hazy fragments in his mind. The cub's ears perked up as he heard a sound.

"What the hell?!"

* * *

 **Dun dun du...oh, you get the point. Anyway, to clarify how Umande awakened the rinnegan, the "Blue liquid" she'd swallowed was a chi=enhancing elixir, which is what made her sick. Combine that with the trauma she witnessed and her father's genes, and she awakened the rinnegan. Suffice to say, it's very weak and she does not yet know how to properly use it. Tobi will be done with the TLK world eventually, and you'll know when he's left for good. He can't stay forever-he has a war to start, after all. Next chapter we find out where that voice came from, what happened to Kopa, and some more aftermath stuff. The chapter after that will be a time-skip. Drop a review if you want, and see you next chapter!**


End file.
